Peabody Dean and Alumni Named Top Innovators
Dean Fred Bronstein and alumnus Zuill Bailey (BM '94, Cello), who received the Peabody Distinguished Alumni Award in 2014, were named as two of the top 30 innovators in the performing arts industry in Musical America's Professionals of the Year special report. The publication mentions Dean Bronstein's focus on the need for change in classical music education and Mr. Bailey's performances in neo-natal units, hospices, oncology centers, and homeless shelters as reasons for their selection. Alumni Ed Harsh (BM '86, Composition), president and CEO of New Music USA, and Paola Prestini ('95, Composition), executive/creative director of National Sawdust, were also named. Last year, faculty artist Amit Peled, cello, was selected for Musical America's 30 Professionals of the Year featuring key industry influencers. For the full list and to read more about the innovators, download the special report.
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FROM THE DEAN
December 1 is an important date for those of us engaged in the training of the next generation of professional musicians. It is the application deadline for our upcoming February auditions which will determine a new cohort of students that will come to Peabody. From what we can tell at this admittedly early stage, it's a promising group. What I am always amazed at is the intense desire, excitement, and yes, trepidation that accompanies this process. That's well founded. Becoming a professional musician is one of the most challenging, competitive, and exhilarating callings to which one can aspire. I use the term "calling" decidedly. Because if it's something you're not sure of, or not fully committed to, it's probably not the right thing. If you are, there may be no more rewarding and deep path through life than a life in music. As a career, it's something you would never want to talk someone into, or talk them out of. The visceral yearning and commitment has to be there - it's not for the faint of heart. That's why as we plan the training of our musicians, we are so committed to making sure we give these future professionals every advantage possible. We can't create success for them, but we can give them the tools that they will need to make their way through a professional world that is more complex and ever-changing. Indeed, we owe it to our students to ensure that they are well trained performers, musically deep, yet broad viewed, nuanced and sensitive in their understanding of how to reach all kinds of people, in different ways, through music. Ultimately, the story of the 21st century will be told in large part through its artists - history makes that clear. Now more than ever, there is a lot at stake.
Fred Bronstein, Dean |
ON STAGE / OFF CAMPUS
Wednesday, December 7, 8:15 pm
Soprano Ah Young Hong (
BM '98, MM '01, Voice), chair of the Voice Department, will present the world premiere of
cortex and ankle by Chair of the Composition Department Michael Hersch (
BM '95, MM '97, Composition) with Ensemble Klang at
De Doelen in Rotterdam, Holland.
Saturday, December 10, 8:30 pm, 10:00 pm
The Jazz at the Johns Hopkins Club series, under the artistic direction of Gary Thomas, will present tenor saxophonist and the Richard and Elizabeth Case Chair in Jazz Studies Gary Thomas. Mr. Thomas will lead a 13-member ensemble featuring several students and alumni in two sets at the Johns Hopkins Club on the Homewood campus, 3400 North Charles Street. The event is a CD release party for Mr. Thomas' Pariah's Pariahs.
Sunday, December 11, 4:00 pm
Tempesta di Mare will present "Winter: A Cozy Noel" featuring faculty artists Gwyn Roberts, Richard Stone, and Adam Pearl (BM '99, Piano; MM '01, DMA '09, Harpsichord) at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The program includes three musical depictions of winter by Simpson, Vivaldi, and Guido.
Sunday, December 11, 3:00 pm
Faculty artist Katherine Needleman, oboe, will be the featured soloist in Ralph Vaughan Williams' Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis and Oboe Concerto with the Symphony of Westchester in New Rochelle, N.Y.
Tuesday, December 13, 8:00 pm
The McGill / McHale Trio featuring faculty artist Anthony McGill, clarinet; Demarre McGill, flute; and Michael McHale, piano, will present a recital at the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society. They will perform works by Francis Poulenc, Dmitri Shostakovich, Antonín Dvořák, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Franz Schubert, and Camille Saint-Saëns.
Peabody Events highlights select off-campus or live-streamed performances featuring Peabody performers. For other events, please visit our Peabody Institute Concerts Facebook page. For the complete weekly list of concerts at Peabody, subscribe to Events at Peabody at peabody.jhu.edu/news.
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ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS
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Marquee Brass - Sam Bessen, a master's student studying horn with Denise Tryon; Mike Minor, a master's student studying tuba with David Fedderly;
Brandon Cave, a DMA trumpet candidate who studied with Joe Burgstaller;
Buddy Deshler, a master's student studying trumpet with Joe Burgstaller; and Ricson Poonin, a GPD student studying trombone with James Olin - performed outreach concerts in November across El Paso as a part of the Young Artist Development Series fellowship with El Paso Pro-Musica, where Zuill Bailey (BM '94, Cello) serves as artistic director.
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Stephen Mulligan (
MM '13, Conducting) was named as the new assistant conductor of Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the music director of their youth orchestra under a two-year contract. As assistant conductor, Mr. Mulligan will work with Robert Spano and principal guest conductor Donald Runnicles in concerts and recording sessions. With the youth orchestra, he will oversee the repertoire selection, auditions, rehearsals, competitions, and the selection and seating of student musicians.
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Adler fellow Toni Marie Palmertree (
BM '06, Voice) stepped up to perform the role of Cio-Cio-San in San Francisco Opera's mainstage production of Puccini's
Madame Butterfly after the artist she was covering fell ill. Ms. Palmertree's performance received a positive review from Janos Gereben of
San Francisco Classical Voice and was featured in an article by
The Mercury News.
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Soprano Alexandra Razskazoff (
BM '14, Voice) made her professional debut at
Minnesota Opera as Wellgunde in Wagner's
Das Rheingold at the Ordway Theatre last month. Ms. Razskazoff is a member of the opera's Resident Artist Program and will also perform Britomarte in
Diana's Garden, Miss Alden in William Bolcom and Mark Campbell's world premiere of
Dinner at Eight, and Musetta in
La bohème, while covering Juliette in
Romeo and Juliet.
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The New York Youth Symphony (NYYS) announced the appointment of DMA conducting student Michael Repper as music director of the orchestra beginning in the 2017-18 season. Mr. Repper will joining the respected roster of NYYS music directors, which has included Leonard Slatkin, David Alan Miller, Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Mischa Santora, and Paul Haas.
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RECENT RECORDINGS
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John Britton (BM '09, Guitar), a former student of Julian Gray, released a CD titled Schubert Sessions under the Analekta label. The CD features original arrangements of traditional Schubert lied for voice and guitar in collaboration with Metropolitan Opera grand prize winner bass-baritone Phillippe Sly. A video triptych which features selections of the CD is on YouTube.
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Faculty artist Amit Peled released a CD titled Casals Homage under Centaur records last month. The CD features live recordings of Mr. Peled performing the same repertoire as Pablo Casals on the same cello Casals played during his career. The 1733 Matteo Goffriller was lent to him by the wife of the late Pablo Casals, Ms. Marta Casals Istomin.
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